Reuben Thiessen

Age: 34

Residence: Hemet

Family: Wife Christyl and two sons

Notable: He developed an app that reminds users to pray twice a day.

Reuben Thiessen has made it easier for people to remember to pray by creating a smartphone app. As a member of the San Jacinto Assembly of God church, he was eager to use his technology skills to help pastor Jeff Johnson find a way to remind parishioners to pray.

Named for Bible passage 2 Chronicles 7:14, which states that “when God’s people humble themselves and pray, God will heal the land,” the app includes a daily devotional, Bible readings and a real-time map highlighting those who are praying across the globe.

Pray 2x7:14 can be downloaded to remind users to pray at 7:14 a.m. and 7:14 p.m. each day.

There are several options available that include reading prayer requests from around the world and joining others in prayer or praying privately.

During a Sunday service about a year ago, Johnson had asked parishioners to take out their phones and set the alarm to remind themselves to pray. After a meeting, Thiessen told Johnson he thought he could take that idea one step further.

“I had always wanted to make an app for the iPhone but I didn’t really have a project,” he said.

Thiessen was traveling to Ghana for his work with Edify.org and had just read an article about using a smartphone to distract people in a positive way by bringing their focus back to God.

“During my 16-hour plane ride to Ghana, I read all the tutorials and I built the app on my way back,” he said.

An update was released in April that makes prayers available in Spanish. Recent data showed more than 2,100 downloads in 72 countries with 16,500-plus prayer requests and about 47,000 joins.

Thiessen, 34, who lives in Hemet, grew up in a rural town in Canada and always had an interest in technology.

“At the age of 7, I saved all my money from my paper route and bought a computer when I was 9 for $2,000,” he said. “I had seen my uncle’s computer and I was fascinated with it.”

Growing up without television also gave Thiessen a lot of time to read, often spending his Saturdays at the town library.

He said his love of reading has paid off as he been able to teach himself what he needs to knows about technology.

“I just love things that are shiny with an on/off switch,” he said. “I’m enamored with technology.”

For more information on the app or the San Jacinto Assembly of God church, visit 714pray.org or sjag.org.

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